Lost and Found
by BlueAquarisGirl
Summary: AU/Modern Day; If you love someone, set them free. If they come back to you, it was meant to be. If not, they were never yours.
1. PROLOGUE

A/N:Welcome to my new story, Lost and Found! As the summary stated, this is an AU, modern day fanfiction. None of the characters are ninjas, but for the most part their personalities will be the same with a few minor changes to suit the plot of the story. This is the first chapter and I hope that you enjoy reading it. If you get the chance, make sure to leave a review; hearing from my readers always makes my day!

Happy reading!

Disclaimer:This applies to all future chapters. I do not own Naruto or any of the characters from the anime/manga, and do not intend to make any profit by writing this story.

* * *

Lost and Found

A Naruto Fanfiction

_Written by _

**BlueAquarisGirl**

* * *

~PROLOGUE~

* * *

Waking up next to her was a bad combination of a good dream that ended too soon, a nightmare, and a god-awful, never ending hangover. How could you possibly feel so great, like everything was just as it should be, when it really wasn't and you knew it, could feel it deep down in your gut?

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, slightly bemused at what he saw. She was curled up against him, the sheet twisted and pulled to cover her. Her hair, mussed and tousled from sleep, hid half her face, a curtain of pink pulled free from its strict, conforming bun. It was the first time he'd seen her hair down; initially he'd thought she had cut it short. It was actually longer than it had been five years ago, reaching to just above her waist where her back dipped in and curved to her hipbones.

Perhaps it was some cruel, twisted joke played out by Fate, he thought with a grimace.

All those times he'd woken up next to some girl he didn't know and felt nothing, emotionally anyway, were coming back to haunt him with a vengeance. A hard slap across the face, jeering at him mockingly for foolishly believing that he was in control, even somewhat. But he had almost willingly surrendered his self-control last night_; _emotional and some level of sexual frustration had gotten the better of him, made worse by the tension between them that he'd been trying to lighten, to no avail.

Everything had finally come to a head. An old wound that hadn't properly healed opening up again.

One moment, they were standing mere inches from each other, angry and resentful-the next, his hands and lips were everywhere, and he simply didn't give a _fuck _anymore about reserving himself. The need to show her that she was wrong, to make her understand in a way that his words could not, became his one and only focus.

Afterward, as they lay together in a silence that was broken only by their shallow breathing and heartbeats that sounded deafeningly loud, he felt no regret, except for the fact that he had let her go, that they had lost so much time; really, that wasn't really anything new. Now that he was thinking clearly, he regretted having let things get out of hand, for adding fuel to the fire of an already complicated situation. He had done it before, and even after suffering, he'd made the exact same mistakes again.

_You can't smooth talk your way out of this one. _

In the past, when a one-night stand didn't end with a simple goodbye, he had managed to avoid undesirable results, usually by resorting to clever, charming lies; only twice he'd had to turn to a more extreme measure. In both cases where he'd done this, the tabloids had placed the majority of the blame on him and not the women, who refused to accept his rejection of them.

He doubted she would pursue him if he left. After all, she had firmly insisted from the start that there was no place for him in her life anymore, that he had caused her enough pain and she wanted nothing to do with him. Yet, what had happened last night contradicted her earlier claims. She had tried to push him away, at first, but she'd eventually given in just as he had.

_It's different. She doesn't have anything to lose. _

The consequences for her were nearly non-existent, while for him, they were indeed great. There was no telling if or when any of this would get to the press; even the slightest mention of Sasuke Uchiha, future CEO of Uchiha INC. having contact with a woman that wasn't his 'fiance', would cause a lot of problems. Not to mention, it might encourage someone to dig into his past for more dirt...The thought of what they could find made him sick to his stomach. Because some secrets could be recovered, no matter how deep you tried to bury them.

His head began to hurt.

_You have to do something, before it's too late. _

Damage control was typically left up to one of his assistants; they were hired and paid to deal with these sort of matters, to keep his hands clean and free of anything that might discredit him, his status in the eyes of others, and most importantly, Uchiha INC's reputation.

This was more personal, though. He intended to handle it on his own, discreetly. The less other people were involved, the better.

According to the clock on the nightstand, it was nearly eight o'clock. He was in luck, for it was still early, and he could possibly make it home without any problems.

He slipped out of bed, carefully shifting his weight, amazed that she didn't stir and remained deeply asleep in the same discombobulated position.

_Some things just never change. _

Turning away he scanned the room for his clothes, quickly and quietly collecting them from the various places they'd been deposited in. He dressed, taking time to smooth out the wrinkles in his shirt and make sure his tie was fastened properly. He could not go out onto the street looking disheveled. If people saw him, they would assume he was just a well-dressed man taking a walk on Sunday morning.

As he stood in front of the mirror over the dresser, giving his appearance a once-over, to ensure that he looked presentable, framed pictures placed to the left caught his attention.

The pictures hanging up in the living room were of her parents and brother in past years, but these looked more recent. She stood in front of a fountain with a man with short brown hair, smiling. In the picture next to that, they were at a restaurant with a group of people, sitting close together each with one arm draped over the other's shoulder. The last picture was of them at what must have been a party, his arm wrapped around her waist, and her holding her hand up to the camera, face lit up with unmistakable joy, the glint of a ring visible on her finger.

Engaged? Or married? He couldn't tell. Had she been wearing that same ring this whole time? She hadn't spoken of a boyfriend, had only remarked that he should move on as she had.

In the pictures she was genuinely happy; he could see it. She was happy because of the man with the brown hair. Because of **_someone else._**

_"If you left, do you really think she would just wait around for you to come back? She deserves _better_ than you and maybe someday, she will realize that and find someone who actually cares and makes her happy."_

She had managed to move on and find someone else, and he had, as she'd said before, been unable to do the same, stuck in the past, despite his efforts to leave her and his memories behind.

Even after five years, he was still exactly the same.

* * *

**TBC**


	2. PART ONE-CHAPTER ONE

A/N: Big thanks to** Nejko** for being the first to review! Also thanks to **lolajam77** for putting this story on your alerts and favorites. **  
**

A quick note on this chapter, which will apply to a lot of other chapters that follow; the events you will be reading about take place prior to what happened in the first chapter, about 6 years or so before. Later on, if it helps, I will make up a little timeline so you don't get confused, though hopefully it won't be necessary to do so.

Reviews, even just short ones saying how much you liked the chapter, are greatly appreciated, as is any kind of feedback (EXCEPT flaming; if you have criticism, keep it constructive or keep it to yourself). Let me know what you think of how I'm portraying the characters. Obviously, they are in the present-day and many situations have been altered to suit the storyline, but I am always eager to hear your thoughts :)

And now without further ado, I give you the second (technically first) chapter!

Disclaimer:This applies to all future chapters. I do not own Naruto or any of the characters from the anime/manga, and do not intend to make any profit by writing this story.

* * *

Lost and Found

A Naruto Fanfiction

_Written by _

**BlueAquarisGirl**

* * *

~PART ONE~

"Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves."  
-Henry David Thoreau

* * *

CHAPTER 1

The sound, a loud and sudden bang, rang deafeningly through the air of the cool summer evening in the alleyway behind an apartment building that had been abandoned over ten years ago. Somewhere out on the street passerby cried out in alarm.

But Sasuke didn't hear their cries, the panicked shouts of the blond haired boy and his companions as they turned and fled, or even the whir of the sirens that followed mere seconds later.

His brother lay on the ground, arms and legs discombobulated, sticky red soaking through his shirt, a flower that seemed to have burst out of his chest and into full bloom. He could still see him sprinting in front of him as the boy with blond hair pulled the gun out from his worn out jacket and pointed it at Sasuke, finger resting on the trigger. Itachi had made no sound when he fell; he staggered backward slightly, hand clutching at his shoulder, his eyes wide and mouth parted in a silent exhale.

It was Sasuke who called out his brother's name in desperation, though he never recalled doing so. He knelt next to Itachi now, replaying that moment where he'd fallen over and over in his head. His brother's eyes were half lidded, but he was looking at him intently, without anger or resentment. And somehow, that only made it ten times worse.

_It should have been me…_

Itachi reached out and grabbed Sasuke's hand with his own, the one that wasn't on the side where he'd been shot, and gave it a firm squeeze. Sasuke felt sick to his stomach, and he was trembling, almost convulsing, his chest heaving painfully as he failed to fight back a sob.

_All my fault. All my fault. _

That was how the police found him—a fourteen year old boy, unharmed but undeniably distraught, leaning over his brother, who by that time was nearly unconscious.

_"It's alright, kid. You're alright. Come on, now…" _

One of the officers tried to pull him away, and he shrieked hysterically.

_"I can't leave him! I can't leave him!"_

It took a lot of coaxing before he finally released the tight hold he had on his brother's hand.

_"We're here to help. It's going to be alright." _A female officer guided Sasuke over to a corner, regarding him with pity. _"An ambulance is coming," _she said. _"They will make sure he's okay."_

It wasn't cold out, but she gave him a jacket. He sat in the corner of the alley, clutching the jacket around him as more officers arrived, along with EMTs. They stood over his brother, and he caught bits and pieces of what they were saying, though the words were meaningless, just noise that flitted in and out of his mind. The female officer looked over at him every so often; he would have liked to run away, but he didn't have the strength to even stand, and it was just too late.

The Chief of Police arrived on the scene and approached Sasuke after speaking to the others. Sasuke recognized the man—he'd been over to the house before, at one of his parents' parties. Fear coursed through him suddenly, and he might have been able to escape then, but the Chief was in front of him and there was no way out. Sasuke ducked his head and avoided the Chief's gaze, even as he knelt down.

_"I just want to help," _he said. _"You don't have to be afraid. _

He was wrong. Sasuke had every reason to be afraid.

_"Can you start by telling me your name, son?"_

The sharp pain in his chest, like the pinpricks of needles, returned, and part of him considered trying to flee as the blond haired boy and his companions had done. He should have done the same, while he'd still had a chance.

_Too late. _

He looked up and knew the Chief recognized him, even though the last party he'd attended had been over a year ago. In any other situation, it would have satisfied him that someone knew who he was—often, people overlooked the fact that his father had, in fact, two sons instead of just one.

Now that he was getting the attention he wanted, Sasuke wished with all his heart that he could go back to being invisible again and simply blend in, just as he'd always done.

* * *

At nine-thirty, Mikoto Uchiha was making one last round throughout the house, checking to see that everything was tidied up before she settled down for the night. It was almost completely silent because she was the only one home. Her husband was gone on a business trip, Sasuke was over at a friend's house, and Itachi...

She frowned to herself, trying to recall if he'd told her where he was going. He must have, because though he was old enough he knew better than to leave without saying anything. She was simply tired and just couldn't remember. No need to worry. If he wasn't back by ten-thirty, she would call his cell phone, just to make sure. It meant staying up longer, but though she was tired, Mikoto knew that she would sleep a lot better if she knew for sure her son was okay.

Instead of going right upstairs and getting ready for bed, she busied herself with starting the laundry she'd planned on doing tomorrow. She went into each of the bedrooms to make sure there were no dirty clothes she'd missed. Itachi's room was neat as a pin, not one thing out of place. She remembered that even as a child, he had never left messes with his toys. Going into Sasuke's room made her smile, because it looked more like what she imagined most fourteen year old boy's bedrooms were supposed to-some clothes on the floor, the bed not made.

She'd gotten into the habit of not cleaning his room as she did the rest of the house during the day. The messiness, however slight, showed that her youngest son was different and though her husband would have disapproved, she didn't want to do anything that might discourage him to change. So she left the bed unmade, but picked up the dirty clothes and went back down to the laundry room.

She had just started the washer when the phone rang. She answered, assuming it was Itachi or perhaps Fugaku calling to tell her that he would be arriving home tomorrow, but a woman was on the other end. A nurse from the hospital.

Mikoto's first assumption was that the nurse was calling to remind her of something she'd forgotten about-an appointment, a check-up for Sasuke or herself. When she couldn't think of a possible answer, her mind went next to the possibility that cousin Rina had gone into labor early. But this didn't make any sense to her, either.

"I'm calling about your son," the nurse explained.

Her mind went right to Sasuke, wondering if he'd had an allergic reaction to something at his friend's house, or if his asthma had been acting up again. She had always worried about him more than Itachi, not only because he was her 'baby' and had a tendency to get sick very easily, but because he was so unlike her eldest son, unpredictable even when he tried to be like Itachi, who always did exactly what you would expect the son of Fugaku Uchiha to do. Her mind did summon up any horrible scenarios, because though she worried about her children, she'd learned that sometimes you had to trust and hope that they would be lucky and manage to avoid trouble. An allergic reaction or an asthma attack were minor, as far as Mikoto was concerned, and nothing to panic about.

"Is Sasuke all right?" she asked, beginning to move toward the front door where her purse was hanging up on a hook. She usually kept a spare inhaler in there, for when they were out of the house. _I should have made sure that he took it with him, earlier, _Mikoto thought guiltily.

"Sasuke is fine." Mikoto let out a silent sigh of relief. She grabbed her keys from another hook and started to slip her shoes on. She would go to the hospital, to see if Sasuke wanted to stay at his friend's house or come home.

"Your son, Itachi, however, is currently in Critical Condition."

Mikoto's keys slipped out of her hand and fell to the floor with a clatter.

"What happened?" It felt as though a hand were clutching at her chest, making it hard to breathe.

"When you get here, the doctor will explain everything. The police may wish to speak with you, as well."

_The police? _Mikoto was desperate to know what was going on, to understand **how** and **why** this was happening. But right now, she had to go to her sons. They needed her. There would be a time, later, to figure out and make sense of everything. She picked up her keys and fought back tears, promising that she would stay strong for Itachi and Sasuke.

"I'm on my way."

* * *

Fugaku Uchiha's cell-phone rang several times throughout dinner, but as he had put the ringer on silent, he was not aware of this until he was on his way back to the hotel for the night. It was nearly midnight, and according to the caller-id, it had been his wife calling. She hadn't left any voice-mails. He supposed she had tried to call and say goodnight, but now she was probably in bed.

He would call her tomorrow morning, he decided as he bid his driver goodnight and made his way into the hotel lobby. Fugaku was waiting for the elevator when one of the hotel clerks approached him.

"Your wife called while you were out, Mr. Uchiha," the clerk said.

"Yes, I know," he answered. "I plan to return her call tomorrow." With a _ding_, the elevator arrived and Fugaku went to step inside, but the clerk went on.

"She said it was urgent that I have you call her as soon as you got in, sir."

"Did she specify as to what was so urgent?"

"No, sir."

"Very well." Fugaku nodded. "Thank you."

* * *

He waited until he was back in his room in the Business Suite on the eighth floor to call his wife. She answered on the first ring.

"I was afraid I wouldn't reach you," she said, sounding relieved, but also very exasperated, almost upset. "Fugaku, you must come home. As soon as possible."

He frowned. "It's the middle of the night. I don't plan on rushing home simply because you feel I should," he said, a little annoyed. "What is going on?" He had a full day of meetings tomorrow. Dinner had not gone as well as expected, and if the meetings went the same way, it might mean losing a crucial partnership. He was tired and not in any mood to deal with any nonsense, especially from his wife.

Silence answered him, and then Mikoto's voice came through on the other end, broken and full of anguish.

_"Itachi is in the hospital."  
_

* * *

"Postpone all of my meetings until further notice and be sure that any calls are forwarded to my voice-mail," Fugaku told his half-asleep assistant. After he had hung up with his wife, he'd called his driver, instructing him to be ready in fifteen minutes, and then right away, called his assistant

"But, Mr. Uchiha, I don't understand," Hideo stammered, sounding even more confused in his state of not-quite-awakeness. He was new and had very impressive credentials, but Fugaku had little patience for his uncertainty.

"Inform the Board of my absence, and let them know that I will be in contact with them at some point. Until I return, Yashiro will act in my stead."

The sound of papers being shuffled around frantically was audible in the background, along with Hideo muttering to himself. Fugaku checked his watch; his driver would be here any moment now.

"And what should I say when asked why you are not here, sir?" Hideo asked.

"I am attending to personal matters."

"Of course, but what I meant was, if the press happens to inquire further-"

Fugaku's temper flared. "Make sure they _don't _inquire further." When Hideo started to say something more, he snapped, "_Just do your job, goddamnit!" _before hanging up.

Right on time his driver arrived. He made no comment about Fugaku's sudden request to return to Konoha. He knew his place and opened the door for Fugaku to get into the car. As they set off, Fugaku thought of his son, of Itachi in a bed in the hospital, unconscious and injured. He did not break down and cry as his wife had; he simply felt overcome with anger. Much of what Fugaku had planned for Uchiha INC's future depended on Itachi.

There were others, both members of the Uchiha family and not, who would gladly take Fugaku's place. But most did not care as he did about the company's reputation, its heritage. He had worked hard and long, making sacrifices to ensure that the core values of Uchiha INC were upheld. Letting the company fall into the hands of the others would be a mistake. They would turn it into nothing more than another greedy, self-serving monopoly.

If Itachi took his place, the tradition of passing the company down from father to son would continue. Uchiha INC would surely flourish under Itachi's leadership.

But someone had brought harm to his son, and therefore, harmed the future of the company, of the Uchiha family. Such a thing was unforgivable. Anger and utter hatred surged through him. By any means, he would see justice done.

The person responsible for this would pay dearly.

* * *

**TBC**


	3. CHAPTER TWO

A/N: Shout outs to **KARASU25** and **crazymel2008** for reviewing! And big thanks to **DarkKunoichi15**,** 22shot** and **KARASU25** and **crazymel2008  
**for adding this story to your favorites and watch lists.

So this chapter took me FOREVER to write and I feel like if I hadn't stopped where I did, it would have just kept going and never ended. On the bright side, some good stuff does happen in this chapter and it's almost 5,000 words altogether, so if I happen to take a long time to update again (this chapter took me about 2 weeks to write), you guys will have something to sort of hold you over. :) I will try my best to update as soon as possible. I'm trying to avoid filler chapters, so it will take me a bit longer, especially because I work 3 days a week and am a full time student on top of that. As much as I love writing this story, school has to come first!

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and look forward to reading your reviews. :)

Disclaimer:This applies to all future chapters. I do not own Naruto or any of the characters from the anime/manga, and do not intend to make any profit by writing this story.

* * *

~PART ONE~**  
**

* * *

CHAPTER 2

His brother was in the room beyond the double doors with a sign hanging above that said in big, bold red letters** MEDICAL STAFF ONLY**. Sasuke could not see what was going on; he could hear lots of talking, though the voices of the doctors were muffled. All he could do was sit in the chair outside, watch the clock and count the seconds and the minutes go by, and wait.

Wait for his mother to come, wait for the point where he would have no choice but to tell the truth, for the time when he would be blamed for what had happened to Itachi, and for his parents and everyone else to finally hate him.

* * *

_I dropped Sasuke off at his friend's house hours ago. I told him to have fun and that I loved him. He somehow ended up at the hospital, with Itachi. And Itachi is unconscious. _

Mikoto turned everything over in her head as she made her way through the automatic sliding doors at the Main Entrance of Konoha General Hospital. She stopped at the desk to sign-in as a visitor and get a badge from the security guard.

"Go on in," he said, turning back to his magazine after he'd handed over the clip-on pass.

Mikoto didn't pin the pass to her shirt, but carried it in her hand as she followed the signs to the Waiting Room. She walked slowly, trying to make no noise, for even the slightest squeak of her shoes against the tiled floor seemed oddly loud.

_How did this happen?  
_

She kept asking herself the same question, but the more she did, the more unclear and distorted the answer, and her thoughts, became.

* * *

Doctor Tsunade Senju slipped her white lab coat off and hung it up on the rack near the door. She moved about her office, separating papers into semi-neat piles and shutting her computer down as she prepared to go home for the night. Today had been no less or more stressful than all the previous days, but she was definitely exhausted. A glass of wine, a hot bath and a few hours of sleep would do her good.

She was about to grab her keys and purse when her assistant, Shizune, came in.

"I plan on getting to that paperwork you gave me first thing tomorrow," Tsunade said quickly, thinking that the young woman had come in to remind her of it yet again. She could deal with the chaos of treating patients, of never knowing when things could go wrong and take a turn for the worse, but the paperwork was just something Tsunade had never been able to keep up with.

"A case just came in," Shizune said, disregarding her comment completely. "Approximated twenty year old male with gun-shot wound to the shoulder."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "The one that was found in the alley?"

"He's Critical. They have him in examination. I just thought that if you had a moment, you might want to step in as well, but if you are leaving-"

Tsunade didn't let her finish; she took her lab coat off the rack and pulled it on once more. Then she took a hair-tie from her pocket and twisted her blonde hair back into a tight bun. Goosebumps rose on her arms. She tried not to think of It-because thinking of It would compromise her ability to do her job. And she was not going to let that happen.

_It's different. This is not the same. This is not..._

Tsunade turned back to Shizune, willing herself to stay in control.

"Take me to the patient," she said.

* * *

He heard his brother yell his name, sounding like he was very far away. The bang of the gun echoed dully in his ears, and he felt something in his right shoulder. A sharp pinch. He fell to his knees and then lay on the ground, heat gathering in his shoulder, a hot stickiness trickling slowly down his skin, soaking through the shirt he wore.

His brother knelt next to him, and despite the pain and the blood, he was relieved to see that he was safe. He didn't regret what he'd done.

"I'm sorry," Sasuke sobbed. "Itachi..."

With what strength he had left-the pain was making it hard to stay awake and completely focused-he reached out his good arm and grabbed Sasuke's hand with his own, giving it a tight squeeze.

'Don't be scared', he tried to tell his brother.

Sirens were going off, and there were many voices talking all at once, but the words were faded and garbled. The pain in his shoulder subsided to numbness, and he found it harder to keep his eyes open. He didn't feel anything anymore. It was like falling asleep, and he didn't fight it; he let himself drift deep down into that place somewhere between awake and not.

* * *

Mikoto made up her mind on the way to the Waiting Room that she was going to confront Sasuke when she saw him. She was his mother and had a right to know things, like why he was here at the hospital instead of at his friend's house where he should have been. He owed her an explanation for that, if nothing else.

Fugaku had often said that she was too lenient with their younger son. The fact that Sasuke had lied to her in some way made her question all the times she'd bent the rules for him, never doubting him when he asked to stay after school or go somewhere outside the house on his own. It left her to wonder how Sasuke had ended up in the same place as his brother, if he somehow was partly responsible for Itachi's current state. Such possibilities scared her, and only made her more desperate to find out the truth.

She entered the Waiting Room and when she saw Sasuke sitting in the chair, unharmed just like the nurse had told her on the phone, saw him looking pale and clearly shaken, a dark red stain on his shirt, her resolve crumbled to nothing. In a few short steps, she reached her son and gathered him up into her arms. She held him close and didn't let go for anything.

_It doesn't matter. None of it matters. _

Mikoto pulled back to look at Sasuke. He was crying, just like she was, and through her tears, she managed a smile. She brushed his hair back from his face, smoothing it out.

"Mom-" he tried to say, his voice cracking, but she pulled him back into another tight embrace, still crying. _  
_

"Everything will be alright, Sasuke-kun," she whispered, not sure if she was saying it to comfort him or herself. "Everything will be alright."

* * *

:FLASHBACK:

"You didn't have to pay for dinner."

"There's nothing with being a gentleman and treating a pretty girl to a nice meal."

"There is when you do it every time we go out."

He waved a hand dismissively and shrugged. "You have to save up all the money you can for school, _Doctor Senju_." He grinned.

"But what if I don't pass the Entrance exam? What if they don't let me in?"

"They will. I know you, Tsunade. You never give up when there's something you really want. Remember when you first asked me out and I kept turning you down?"

She swatted at him playfully. "_I_ was the one who kept turning you down and threatened to break your arm if you didn't leave me alone."

"You gave in, though. But the broken arm would have been worth it, either way." He kissed her cheek. "I _know _you're going to pass that test, and you'll do so well in school that by the time you graduate, every hospital in Konoha will be begging you to work for them."

She smiled and held hands with him as they walked further down the street

"There's just one thing I want you to promise me," he said, when they reached the car.

He put his hand into his coat pocket and pulled out something...her heart skipped a beat.

"Before you become the best doctor in Konoha..." He let go of her hand and went down on one knee.

"Will you marry me?"**_  
_**

* * *

The Examination Room was full of nurses bustling back and forth-a beehive of activity, of voices carrying from one end of the room to the other, sounds from the monitors filtering through.

"They have to perform surgery to remove the bullet," Shizune was telling Tsunade as they entered the room. "He has lost a lot of blood already."

"Hopefully we can prevent him from losing anymore," Tsunade said, her stomach churning at the thought. Blood was part of her job, but she had become good at avoiding it whenever possible, much in the same way she did her paperwork. "Any luck with figuring out who he is?" she asked a passing by nurse. There were several others gathered around the metal table on which the patient lay, and Tsunade purposefully looked away from the scene.

"Not yet," the nurse replied. "But the boy the police brought in might know."

"Boy?"

"They brought him in not long ago. He hasn't said a word to anyone."

"Where is he?"

"In the Waiting Room outside."

"Tsunade-sama, I could-" Shizune started to say, but Tsunade cut her off.

"I will talk to him. Go home, Shizune." she looked at her assistant and smiled. "I will see you in the morning. She turned on her heel and left._  
_

All the chairs in the Waiting Room were unoccupied, except for one in the far corner. Tsunade guessed he was around ten or so, but it was hard to tell; he had his head turned from her and ducked down. The only thing she could distinguish was that he had dark hair that stuck in the back like spikes. It reminded her of...

_No. _Tsunade quickly pushed her thoughts away. Now was not the time. _Stay in control. _

She took a deep breath and approached him, a little uncomfortable. She didn't deal with kids much, although some of her adult patients were far from mature..._  
_

Tsunade was less than a foot away when the boy turned around and looked right at her. She saw right away that he wasn't as young as she'd first assumed. He was closer to twelve or thirteen.

"Is Itachi okay? Can I see him now?" The words came out of his mouth in a rush, demanding an answer. Normally Tsunade wouldn't have taken kindly to this. But she saw the desperation in the boy's expression and felt even more sorry for him. In the back of her mind, another thought, this one concerning the name Itachi, prodded persistently at her.

"Itachi is the one in the Examination Room?" Tsunade asked, pointing back at the double doors.

The boy nodded.

"What is your name?"

"Sasuke."

"I'm Doctor Senju." Tsunade self-consciously realized how formal she was being. Doing so was second-nature to her, but he was just a kid. The last thing he needed was an adult treating him like this, like he was nothing more than another face passing through. She bent down so they were eye level, and offered him a small smile that she hoped was a reassuring one.

"How do you know Itachi, Sasuke?"

"He's my brother."

_Brothers. He was there when his brother was shot... _

Her curiosity warred with keeping things professional and on track.

"Sasuke, is there anyone at home right now that we can call? Your parents, maybe?"

"My dad is away on a business trip. Mom is home but-" Sasuke hesitated, his expression changing from desperate to something like fear; he looked like he would have rather been anywhere but here.

"We're going to help Itachi and make sure he gets better," Tsunade said. "but I need you to tell me your last name so I can call your mother. She's probably very worried about the both of you."

Sasuke bit down hard on his lip, hesitating. Tsunade remained patient. The thought about Itachi prodded at her yet again, but she couldn't quite put her finger on why that name sounded familiar.

"It's Uchiha," Sasuke said finally.

And finally, the connection clicked in Tsunade's mind.

_Itachi Uchiha. Fugaku Uchiha's son. _

She'd heard about him before, mostly from tidbits of conversations the young nurses had about how 'gorgeous' he was. She remembered that about two or three years ago, he had attended a benefit event for the hospital with his father, whom he greatly resembled, except for the fact that he smiled; Fugaku Uchiha always looked like he was miserable, no matter what the occasion.

_Sasuke is Itachi's brother. _

Not once had Tsunade ever heard of Fugaku Uchiha having another son, let alone another child at all. Of course, Sasuke was younger, but the Uchihas were often mentioned on the news or in the paper for one reason or another.

"Can I please see my brother now?" Sasuke asked.

Tsunade couldn't find it in her heart to tell him no. She knew it was against protocol to take him into the Examination Room, so she led him to look through the glass window. They must have been preparing for surgery, for one of the surgeons had come in and was directing the others to gather the necessary items. She glanced sideways at Sasuke, who was concentrated fully on his brother. Catching a glimpse of the older brother's face as they slipped a mask over his mouth, Tsunade saw how much the two siblings resembled each other. Itachi definitely looked like their father, but if she hadn't known any better, she would have said that Sasuke was not Fugaku Uchiha's son at all; she supposed he had inherited more of his mother's looks.

At last Sasuke turned away from the window. Tsunade wished she could have comforted him, but what did you say to someone who had gone through what he had? There was no way of knowing if Itachi Uchiha would make it through this, and Tsunade didn't believe in giving false hope to people.

"I'm going to have someone call your mother," she said. "You should wait here until she comes."

Sasuke nodded silently.

"If you need anything, just let one of the nurses know. I'll be back later to check on you."

He returned to his chair in the corner, and Tsunade went to the nurse at the desk to have her make the necessary call.

* * *

It was after one o'clock in the morning when a tall-dark haired man in a crisp suit walked in through the Main Entrance of the hospital. The guard on duty looked up over his paper and saw the man approaching. He set the paper down and grabbed a guest pass from the basket on his desk. But the man did not stop-he walked by and kept going and it took the guard a minute to realize what was going on. He stood up and followed after the man, catching him just before he was about to turn down the hallway on the left.

"Excuse me, sir, but I'm going to have to ask you to show some identification and take a guest pass." The guard's hand wandered to his belt, where his walkie-talkie was clipped, ready to use it if necessary.

The man in the suit turned around and scowled at the guard.

"Do you even know who I am?" he demanded haughtily.

_Some big shot that thinks he can get away with not following the rules, _the guard thought irritably.

"If you don't cooperate," he told the man, "I will have to ask you to leave."

"My name is _Fugaku Uchiha," _the man sneered. "My family built this town and made it what it is today. By means of my extreme generosity, this hospital has remained in pristine condition and continues to be one of the leading medical centers in the world."

His words didn't phase the guard. He recognized the name Uchiha well enough, but rules were rules and he wasn't about to make any exceptions just because Fugaku Uchiha thought he was better than everyone else.

"All I need is to see some ID and give you this pass, Mr. Uchiha. Then you are free to do as you please."

Fugaku Uchiha looked absolutely furious as he pulled out his wallet and showed his driver's license. When the guard handed over the pass, he all but snatched it out of his hand.

"Thank you," the guard said, smiling pleasantly. The other man turned away abruptly and set off down the hall once more.

The guard went back to his desk and the sports section in his paper, hoping that there wouldn't be any more problems for the rest of his shift.

* * *

He found his wife in the Waiting Room. Deep down, it broke Fugaku's heart to see her looking so worn and tired, and he regretted having snapped at her on the phone earlier. When she saw him, she stood up and he crossed to her quickly, pulling her into an uncharacteristic embrace, one that he reserved for times where they were in the privacy of their home, usually with the bedroom door shut.

Once in his arms, she seemed to break down completely, trembling and sobbing softly into the shoulder of his suit, which would probably need to be dry-cleaned after this, but that was truly the furthest thing from his mind.

He held her close until she had calmed.

"What happened to Itachi?" he asked her as she pulled back a little bit, wiping her tears away with her handkerchief. He'd given it to her as a wedding gift; her initials were sewn into the corner, just above the intricate lace trimming.

"I don't know. They said something about him being found in an alleyway. He was shot and they had to surgically remove the bullet." She must have seen something in Fugaku's expression, a flicker of anger, because she quickly added, "He is fine, now. But still unconscious. They have him in a room." She took his hand. "Why don't you sit down?"

It was as she led him over to the corner of the Waiting Room where she'd previously been sitting that he saw his younger son. This did not strike him as strange; Mikoto had likely picked him up from his friend's house and brought him here as soon as she'd found out about Itachi. What caught Fugaku's attention was the dark red stain on Sasuke's shirt, not quite all the way dry.

_Is it blood? His or someone else's? _It made him wonder...

"Sasuke." He addressed his son, who immediately looked up at him. "Do you know what happened to your brother?"

Mikoto put a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "Fugaku, we've been through enough tonight already. Don't you think-"

_"Answer me."_ A direct command.

Sasuke hesitated, but Fugaku could see it in his eyes that he knew something. His face gave it all away; he was not good at hiding anything. His mother had coddled him, ever since he was a baby, and though Fugaku had tried to teach him to be more assertive it hadn't done any good. That his youngest son lacked proper control over his emotions was a disappointment.

However, Sasuke broke down, much like his mother had upon Fugaku's arrival.

"It was an accident," he cried. "Hayato and I went for a walk and ran into these guys and they had a gun. I didn't know Itachi was there..._They shot him_." He was crying.

Fugaku looked away from his son as his wife turned and embraced Sasuke, whispering soothing things to him. He couldn't wait any longer. He needed to see Itachi. He rose from his chair and approached the Reception Desk.

* * *

The nurse at the desk was just finishing up typing something on her computer when Fugaku Uchiha appeared on the other side of the small sliding glass window.

"How can I help you, Mr. Uchiha?" She made sure to be as polite as possible, even though she was sure that he would not return the favor.

"I would like to see my son," he said. "Where is he?"

"He is in a room right now, sir. But the doctor is not quite finished with her observation yet. Someone should be out to speak with you soon."

This answer didn't please him. The nurse didn't know much about the situation, but had gathered that it had something to do with Fugaku Uchiha's oldest son, Itachi. Family members often came into the Waiting Room full of agitation which usually came out as anger. Little white lies were the key to pacifying them until the doctors could come and take over.

But Fugaku Uchiha was not so easily appeased. He began to raise his voice to her, making threats about filing a lawsuit against the hospital if she didn't do as he said. She tried not to let him intimidate her; the problem was that he would probably make good on his threat if things didn't go his way. The nurse was more scared of what would happen to the hospital if he was unhappy than she was of losing her job.

She didn't like the thought of giving into him, just another bully who had gotten too used to having leverage over people, but there was little else she could do. With a heavy sigh, she gave in and sent out an emergency page for Doctor Senju.

* * *

"I thought I told you to go home," Tsunade said when she found Shizune waiting outside her office. Her assistant didn't look the least bit guilty. She simply held up a paper cup of steaming coffee and smiled.

"You could probably use this."

"I'm going to need something _a lot_ stronger than caffeine," Tsunade said. "We found out who the patient is."

"Itachi Uchiha."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow "How did you know that?"

"I heard one of the nurses saying something in the Lounge when I was getting coffee."

"Of course. I forgot that news travels in this hospital like the plague," the blonde-haired doctor mumbled as she fished her keys out from her lab coat pocket.

Tsunade unlocked her office door with her keys and went in. Shizune followed, still holding the cup of coffee and looking sympathetic.

"They had to surgically remove the bullet," she went on, setting the manilla folder containing Itachi Uchiha's medical records down on her desk. "He'll possibly need therapy for his shoulder in the future. But we can't determine much else because he's still unconscious. Tsunade shook her head. "It's just awful. And it's even worse because his younger brother was right there in the alleyway when it happened."

"I didn't know there was another brother."

"That makes two of us." Tsunade sighed as she sat down. "I guess I'll take that coffee now."

Shizune handed it over to her, and after blowing on it a little she took a nice, long sip. No sugar or cream. Just straight black coffee. She'd been drinking it that way since the first time her grandfather had allowed her to have coffee.

They sat in silence for a few moments and then a voice said over the loudspeaker: "Paging Doctor Senju. Doctor Senju, please report to the Waiting Room right away."

Tsunade rose from her chair and walked out of the office, leaving her coffee behind. Shizune quickly grabbed the half-empty cup and Itachi Uchiha's file and followed her.

-0-

In the Waiting Room Fugaku Uchiha stood with a woman, who must have been his wife, and Sasuke near the Reception Desk. The nurse at the desk looked nervous and apologetic when Tsunade and Shizune arrived.

"Mr. Uchiha wishes to see his son."

Tsunade turned towards the family and offered them a warm smile. "I'm Doctor Senju. I've decided to handle your son's case personally." She extended her hand out.

At the mention of her last name, Fugaku Uchiha let out a scoff, and he didn't even take her hand. Tsunade was aware that he had already passed judgement on her for this simple fact. Her family was almost as old as his, and the two had never really gotten along. She decided it was best to ignore his disdain for her. This wasn't about an old rivalry; this was about Itachi

She pulled her hand back and with her warm smile never wavering, went on, "Itachi is currently still unconscious, but the way things are looking, his condition should improve."

"How long before he wakes up?" It was the woman who asked the question. There was no tone of superiority or demand in her voice; just the wholehearted concern one would expect from a mother. _And Sasuke looks a lot like her, _Tsunade thought.

"We're not entirely sure. It's only been a couple of hours and he's still recovering from the surgery. X-rays show that there is some damage to his left shoulder from the impact of the bullet. Other than that, we haven't found any evidence of further physical damage. I'm guessing that within the next forty-eight hours or so we'll know more."

"Isn't there something else you can do to help him?" Fugaku Uchiha said, almost as if he hadn't heard anything she'd said.

"I assure you Mr. Uchiha," Tsunade said, trying to bite back the urge to snap at him, "my staff and I are doing everything possible to ensure that your son is cared for and comes out of this." She really meant it, too.

She would not sleep soundly until Itachi Uchiha was awake and fully conscious, doing whatever it took to get him to that point. She was doing it simply because it was the right thing to do, the whole reason she had become a doctor in the first place; to save people if it all possible. Because Itachi Uchiha was too young to die when he had a full life ahead of him.

_Because nobody deserves to have their loved ones taken away from them.  
_

"That remains to be seen," Fugaku Uchiha murmured.

"May we please see our son now, Doctor Senju?" Mrs. Uchiha asked.

Tsunade nodded and gestured for them to follow her.

"Right this way."

* * *

**TBC**


	4. CHAPTER THREE

A/N: Big thanks to** KARASU25** for reviewing and to **TheGirlWhoIsInLoveWithJapan, GaaraLove4-ever, Nejko** and **Hypogal **for adding this story to your favorites/watch list. It means a lot to me that you guys are favoriting/watching the story, but please, please, please try to review if you have the chance; it really makes my day when you do and gives me more encouragement to write. You don't have to say a lot, just say that you liked the story. At the same time, if you do decide to review and kind of tell me what you think is going on, be careful what you write; if you think it might be too spoilery for other people, PM me. I won't tell you if you're right or wrong (that would be way too easy!) but it will keep things from getting too spoiled hopefully.

Things at school are getting really busy. Classes and work consume much of my free time during the week but I do get to write occasionally and the weekends usually aren't too bad. I know that things are moving slow but they will pick up eventually; you guys are kind of getting a lot of backstory right now, and unfortunately, it is necessary to set up certain plot points. So just be patient and we'll get to the good stuff eventually!

And now, without further ado, I give you the next chapter! Enjoy and don't forget to review!

Disclaimer:This applies to all future chapters. I do not own Naruto or any of the characters from the anime/manga, and do not intend to make any profit by writing this story.

* * *

Lost and Found

A Naruto Fanfiction

_Written by _

**BlueAquarisGirl**

* * *

~PART ONE~

* * *

CHAPTER 3

:FLASHBACK:

Mikoto Uchiha had never felt more nervous as when the secretary showed her into her husband's office. Fugaku sat behind his desk, not taking his eyes off the paper he was writing on.

She waited awkwardly near the door, not sure of what to say. She had never visited him at work before and had almost decided not to. But the news she had just found out had made her so happy and she couldn't think of a reason not to share it with him right away. Standing there and waiting for him to acknowledge her was too much; it was such good news, and she was like a giddy schoolgirl, unable to keep it to herself.

_"I'm pregnant."_

Even from where she stood, halfway across the room, Mikoto saw the pen slip in her husband's hand, making a jagged line across the page as he finally looked up at her. She had hoped there would be some expression on his face when she told him, but as always, whatever he was feeling was not visible on his face.

Fugaku stared at her. She wondered if he was simply shocked, but this didn't seem likely. After a long silence, he cleared his throat and looked back down at his papers, beginning to shuffle and straighten them.

Worrisome thoughts began to drift through her mind. Did he not want another child? He had Itachi, and seemed pleased enough, but had he not planned on having any more children? Was she wrong to have believed that he would be happy at the possibility of having another son or a daughter? She tried to remember if he had ever told her, given her any indication of what he wanted either way.

Had she made a terrible mistake?

At last, he spoke. "How far along?"

Confused, she replied, "About two months."

He looked up at her.

"I just found out today," she added softly.

There was more silence and then he rose from his chair, slowly, and came over to her. The phone rang, but he ignored it, and instead leaned forward to kiss her. Relief washed over her instantly, for there was mistaking the gentleness in the gesture which conveyed everything that his words and facial expression could not.

When he broke away, he told her he would be home early, that they were going out to dinner to celebrate. He kissed her once more before she left and then returned to his desk.

Mikoto went home and gave Mi, the nanny the rest of the afternoon off. Then she went upstairs to the nursery where Itachi was just waking up from his nap. She lifted him out of his crib and kissed his cheek. He would be a year old soon, as hard as it was for her to believe. He couldn't really understand what it meant when she told him he was going to have a brother or sister, but she told him all the same.

* * *

Doctor Senju led them through the double doors Sasuke had seen earlier. They passed through the large room on the other side, where Itachi had been, and then went down a hallway where there were several smaller rooms to the left and the right. At the end of the hall, Doctor Senju showed them into Itachi's room.

He was in a bed, propped up with two pillows. Next to the bed, a monitor stood, beeping and displaying on a small screen a green line that zigzagged up and down, as well as some other numbers. Sasuke had no idea what they meant. Several long tubes were hooked up to the machine at one end, while the other end was hooked up to Itachi's arm. A thick, clear liquid ran through one of them. If it hadn't been for the tubes and the beeping of the machine, Itachi would have simply looked like he was asleep.

"Can he hear anything we're saying?" Sasuke heard his mother ask Doctor Senju.

"It's possible. But it's likely he won't remember later on."

His mother went to stand beside Itachi and took his hand in hers.

"We are here for you, Itachi-san," she whispered. "Daddy and Sasuke and I. We'll be here whenever you wake up."

She turned around to face Doctor Senju and walked over to the blonde haired woman. "Thank you so much, Doctor. For taking care of our sons. My husband and I are truly grateful."

Sasuke glanced at his father, who wasn't even paying attention to any of this. He was looking at Itachi, as if he were the only one in the room that mattered. Since they'd left the Waiting Room, he hadn't acknowledged Sasuke at all.

"I know you wish to stay with your son," Doctor Senju was telling his mother, "and if you choose to do so, I invite you to stay for as long as you like and to let any of my staff know how we can accommodate you. But my suggestion is that you go home and take some time for yourselves. At least a couple hours, to allow everything to sink in. Itachi will be kept under close watch, and if his condition changes even slightly, I will make sure you are notified immediately."

Sasuke's mother looked at his father, who was still fixed on Itachi. She went over and put a hand on his shoulder. "Fugaku. The Doctor is right. We should go home...Itachi will understand."

"He shouldn't be left alone. Not in a place like this."

Sasuke had witnessed this sort of thing before-where his mother tried to convince his father of something and he refused and she simply let it be. But for some reason, his mother didn't do as she usually did. She stood on her tip-toes-his mother was about a foot shorter than his father-and kissed his cheek. Sasuke had never seen his parents be openly affectionate before. Certainly, his mother was affectionate by nature, but she and his father never embraced in public or held hands.

Seeing it happen now, in front of him _and_ Doctor Senju (who had looked away uncomfortably), was indeed odd.

"_Please." _His mother said, drawing back. She looked like she was about to cry again.

His father tore his eyes away from Itachi. The whole time, his expression had not changed. He nodded to Sasuke's mother, and then cast his stern gaze on Doctor Senju.

"I trust that you will keep your word and see that my son is well cared for."

"Of course," Doctor Senju said. She was one of the few people Sasuke knew that was willing to stand up to his father. Sasuke admired anyone who could do so; his father was a formidable figure, and Sasuke had never been able to speak his mind to him, or anyone else for that matter.

"We will return tomorrow," his father replied. He said it like it was supposed to be a warning. Obviously, he did not like Doctor Senju. Maybe it was because she wasn't afraid to talk back to him like most people were. Sasuke had a feeling it was more than that, though There were many people his father disliked, but he seemed to especially dislike Doctor Senju.

Whatever the reason was, Sasuke did not have a chance to ponder it; his mother, standing in the doorway, called his name, telling him that it was time to go. He gave a little wave to Doctor Senju, glancing one more time at his brother, who looked very peaceful, despite the tubes and the beeping machine, and then turned to follow his parents out of the room.

* * *

:FLASHBACK:

In the weeks after, Mikoto rarely saw her husband. He stayed late at work, and when he was home, he remained in his office upstairs and slept in one of the spare bedrooms. When they did encounter each other, he spoke to her even less than she had become accustomed to. She tried not to let it bother her, supposing that it was his way of grieving. During the day, she had housework, and Itachi to keep her busy.

But at night, lying in their bed, alone, she felt utterly helpless. At times, the helplessness turned into anger and hurt. No matter how grieved he was, he should not have abandoned her like this. Had he forgotten that she had suffered the same loss as he had? And in some ways, she had lost even more.

To him, having another child was just a way of strengthening the roots of his family tree, securing the future. She had carried a new life within her, anticipating the moment where she would be a mother yet again, taken pride in preparing the nursery, in looking through books for the perfect name. _She_ had been the one to wake up in the hospital, and learn first of the devastating truth. He had lost an heir, but she had lost a child, and the memory of that child moving in within her, nudging and growing, was not something that she would forget easily.

The first few nights on her own, she'd dreamt of hearing a baby crying somewhere far away. It had been so vivid, she'd gotten out of bed and rushed to check on Itachi, only to find that he was still fast asleep, and to be reminded of the fact that the child she'd lost had never even had its first cry.

One night, about three months later, she was woken once again by the sound of crying; this time, however, it was real. Mikoto pulled on her bathrobe and went down the hall to Itachi's room. He was teething, and the discomfort of it had made him very irritable and fussy. She pushed the door open, for it stood slightly ajar, and was amazed to find Fugaku already in there, holding Itachi and trying to no avail to calm him down. So used to dealing with businessmen and stockholders, he looked completely out of his element. If the circumstances were different, Mikoto might have found it humorous; instead, she was torn between being touched, and convinced that this was just a very, very bizarre dream.

"Here, let me take him."

Fugaku handed Itachi over to her, and she began to bounce him a little bit, rubbing his back to soothe him. "Shh...Mommy's here..." Itachi quieted, but was still not content. Mikoto began to hum a lullaby, and when this didn't help, she carried him out of the room and downstairs to the kitchen, continuing to bounce him as she made a bottle. Itachi's Pediatrician had told her that putting teething rings in the freezer and letting Itachi suck and bite down on them would help, but she'd found over the past week that warm milk was a more effective remedy.

Carrying Itachi and the bottle, she returned to his room upstairs. Fugaku was still there.

"Is he alright?"

"Just a little fussy." Mikoto settled down into the rocking chair and coaxed Itachi to drink his bottle. His crying subsided, turning to little noises of protest and then to the sound of him sucking on the bottle, cooing and sighing. She started humming again, and watched her son's eyes grow heavy, slowly fluttering shut.

Fugaku lingered in the room the entire time, but did not say anything to her. Itachi fell fast asleep just as he drained the last few drops of the bottle. Mikoto was careful as she pulled the bottle out of his mouth and stood up to take him to his crib. When he was in the crib, tucked in underneath the blankets, his stuffed bear placed beside him, she turned to leave.

"Goodnight," she managed to say to her husband on her way out the door.

She heard his stiff reply a moment later, halfway down the hall.

-0-

The next morning, she woke up and went to check on Itachi. But he wasn't in his crib, and she noticed how oddly quiet the house was as she went downstairs. In the dining room, she found Fugaku seated at the table, already dressed. He rose from his chair when she entered the room. The table was set with a simple spread for breakfast.

"Good morning," he said, standing with his hands clasped behind his back.

"Good morning." Mikoto smiled a small smile, not sure of what to think.

Fugaku had pulled out her chair for her, and only when she was seated did he sit back down. The plate in front of her held several pieces of french toast, scrambled eggs and sausage. A cup of orange juice was placed to her right. In baffled silence, Mikoto began to eat. Everything was delicious. But it wasn't enough to make her forget about Itachi.

"He is at my sister's house," Fugaku answered, before she could work up the courage to ask the question. "I've asked her to take him for a while."

Mikoto contemplated this as she chewed. He was going away on a trip, she decided, and unhappily realized that he didn't want her to be left with Itachi; it was his way of punishing her. She pushed back her chair from the table and started to get up in a hurry, upset and almost to her breaking point of anger. And beneath the anger, there was a worry that he planned to do the unthinkable and divorce her.

If he did, she would never forgive him, or herself.

"Why must you continue to do this to me? Isn't it enough that I have had to deal with losing the baby?" She was shouting, something she'd never done in her entire life. Anger had taken over. She couldn't take it anymore. "_Does it please you to see me suffer more?"_

"No," Fugaku said. "It does not." He rose from his chair and came over to her. When he tried to embrace her, she purposely backed away.

"You have not spoken to me in nearly three months," she said. "You went out of your way to avoid me in every possible way. And now, you have seen fit to send Itachi away, without even telling me first, which can only mean that you don't want him to be near me."

He shook his head. "I would never do that, Mikoto. It wouldn't be right. You are his mother."

"Then why-"

"Because I felt that we needed some time for ourselves. Without Itachi. Just you and I."

Since they'd married, Mikoto and Fugaku had spent little time together on their own. Running a company kept him away from home, away from her, even when he was not at work. The company and family were the two most important things to him, but he often thought more of the company, of business, and how having a family could secure a certain future for the company.

"It was never my intention to make you think that I was being cold towards you," Fugaku went on. "I only wanted to give you the chance to heal. I thought it would be better if we spent some time apart. Now I see it was a terrible mistake." He reached out to touch her cheek, and this time she didn't move away. "I should have been there to comfort you, instead of abandoning you when you needed me most, but my grief blinded me. I held myself responsible for what had happened, and for putting you through that."

Tears were running down Mikoto's cheeks. "There was nothing that you, or I or anyone else could have done. It happened for a reason, and we never knew..." _Until it was too late. _

With his thumb, Fugaku brushed her tears away. "I hope you can forgive me," he said. He took her hand his, bringing it to his lips and kissing it gently.

She smiled and nodded.

"I do."

They went back to eating breakfast, the silence now more comfortable between them. When they had finished, Fugaku announced they were going away for a few days, but he would not say where. They had not taken a trip on their own, as simply husband and wife, since their honeymoon, and with all that had happened lately, it seemed such a long time ago.

About two hours later, after Mikoto had dressed and packed clothes in a small suitcase, and they were in the car, driving to a destination only Fugaku knew. They went beyond the city limits of Konoha, where there were few houses to be seen and lots of trees. The further they went, the more Mikoto was eager to figure out where they were going.

At some point, she dozed off, and when Fugaku woke her, it was the middle of the afternoon and they had apparently reached their destination. The sight Mikoto saw was breathtaking-a sandy beach and water stretching endlessly out into the distance. Set back from the shore, there was a house, and she had a feeling it belonged to the Uchiha family. It was not as big as some of the other houses she'd seen the family staying in, but Mikoto was sure the inside was no less grand.

And indeed, as they went inside, she found out she had been right. The ceilings were high, the rooms spacious, and the decorations in the same simple, yet elegant style she'd become accustomed to.

Fugaku made them dinner, which they ate out on the back deck as the sun was setting later that evening. The sounds of the waves crashing against the shore and gulls crying overhead brought a sense of peace and calm to Mikoto. Fugaku cleared away the plates after, and then disappeared into the house while she lingered out on the deck, watching the waves and the light reflecting off the water.

Just as the sky was turning a deep purplish-blue, Fugaku came out again, mentioning that he'd lit a fire in the hearth in the living room, so she followed him back inside. They sat on the couch together, each holding a glass of wine, Mikoto curled up against Fugaku.

She wasn't sure how long they sat there on the couch for, but the flames of the fire soon began to die down, the embers smoldering. The wine had made her feel sleepy and a little lightheaded, but in a good a way. Later, she couldn't clearly remember how it ended up that they were in each other's arms, kissing. But really, it didn't matter.

They went into the Master Bedroom, and lay on the bed, the heat between them igniting brilliantly and rapidly growing, kindling what seemed to be a forgotten desire.

Fugaku was hesitant, she could see it in his eyes. It had been too long, and Mikoto did not want to wait any more, lest the moment be ruined. If they went back to not speaking to each other, she wouldn't be able to bear it. She _needed_ him, and his touch, more than ever.

He did continue, but it was almost heartbreaking the way he did so; she felt his hand, as well as the rest of his body, trembling, still hesitating. Tenderly, she reached out and took his hand in hers, and leaned up to kiss him, silently assuring him that it was alright. Slowly but surely, he gave in to desire, and gentleness turned to feverish passion, a fire that rose higher and higher until it burst and consumed them both in wonderful delirium.

For three days Fugaku and Mikoto stayed at the beach house, wrapped up in their own little world where they were the only two inhabitants. When it came time to go home, Mikoto was not unhappy; she talked of returning sometime to the beach and staying there with Itachi. He would have liked the sand and the water, she thought.

And perhaps the next time they came back, there would be another child. Perhaps they could try again. But for now, Mikoto was content to go home to Konoha and to Itachi.

For now, everything was as it should be.

* * *

Itachi's condition remained the same, no worse and no better than before. It was still too soon to say what the outcome of this situation would be, either way, but Tsunade was exhausted, even if she insisted over and over again that she wasn't, and frustrated and _impatient_. She had been checking on him all through the night, hoping for some change, and every time she found that there was none, it only made things worse, because she kept thinking of Sasuke and his mother and father.

No matter how much she disliked Fugaku Uchiha and thought he was an absolute officious prick, she knew he didn't deserve to lose his son. She could care less about whether or not he trusted her, holding onto an old grudge for the sake of his stupid pride; but if she was unable to save Itachi, Tsunade was not sure what she would do. Death of a patient was always a probability, every time she took on a case, an enemy that lurked constantly, waiting to rear its ugly head when you least expected, turning what _seemed _like order and normalcy into chaos.

_"Why him? Why not someone else?"_

Tsunade touched the necklace she wore. It had belonged to her grandfather, and he'd given it to her for her tenth birthday. In turn, she'd given it to her brother a few years afterward, hoping it would bring him good luck. Sometime later, she'd passed it on to Dan, a symbol of her affection. It had come back into her possession, and if not for the fact that it was a valuable and sentimental family heirloom, she would have gotten rid of it a long time ago.

_"You** will** succeed. Not because you are the granddaughter of Hashirama Senju, but because you are strong and brilliant. Anyone who tells you different is an idiot." _

It was seven-thirty in the morning; normally, Tsunade would have been on her way to work after a semi-decent night of sleep. She didn't want to go home, because it didn't seem right to. But in the end, she gave in.

She left instructions with Izumi, one of the few nurses she knew could trust. Shizune had already gone home several hours ago. "Keep an eye on Itachi Uchiha as much as possible," Tsunade told Izumi as she gathered up her things. "Call me if there is even the _slightest_ change in his condition." She glanced at her watch. "I will try to be back within the next hour."

"You should try to get some rest, Tsunade-sama," Izumi said, echoing the tone of genuine concern Shizune had used earlier.

"I'll be alright," Tsunade replied, with a little smile, and she turned to leave. _  
_

Upon arriving home about fifteen minutes later (the traffic on the expressway did not improved her already on-the-edge temper), Tsunade went straight upstairs to the bathroom, quickly stripping out of her clothes and stepping into the shower. She stood under the shower-head, letting the hot water pour down on her, gradually easing the tension in her muscles. She felt ten times better when she emerged from the steam-filled bathroom, wrapped in a towel and went to her room, but the good feeling was short-lived.

Her sheets and blankets were all tangled up, half off the bed, and the man in the bed was so deeply asleep he was _drooling _on her pillow. Tsunade wrinkled her nose, thinking that she'd definitely have to wash the bedding after this. She had a good mind to wake his lazy-ass up, but realizing that she was still wrapped up in her towel, she grabbed her bathrobe and pulled it on and then proceeded to go over to the man and smack him. He awoke with a start.

"This isn't a _hotel, _Jiraiya!" Tsunade growled at him. "Get your ass out of my bed!"

He looked at her, eyes half lidded with sleep, and grinned. "That's the first time I've ever heard a woman say that to me-OW! _Alright, alright!"_

He pushed the covers off of him, and she immediately looked away, face turning red due to embarrassment and fury. She had forgotten about his tendency to sleep in the nude.

"You're _blushing_, princess." There was no mistaking the tone of amusement in his voice.

_"I'll give you princess!"_ She spotted his pants on the floor nearby. Picking them up, she promptly threw them at him. "I don't have time for your perverted nonsense. Now get out!"

She shoved him out of the room and slammed the door in his stupid, grinning face, then locked it because she didn't trust him.

_You can deal with him later, _Tsunade told herself as she went to her dresser to pick out clean clothes. _He is the least of your worries right now. _She got dressed and then carefully opened the door. Jiraiya wasn't in the hallway. She would have been a fool to think he'd left; she could hear noises from downstairs and guessed that he was helping himself to food in the kitchen.

Jiraiya was in the kitchen, but he wasn't riffling through her fridge. He was standing at the stove, shirtless but thankfully wearing pants, and cooking eggs in a skillet. Two plates were set on the counter, with several slices of already buttered toast. He was singing, pretending to croon to the eggs in what he probably thought was an alluring and seductive way. Seeing this display of his ridiculous behavior lightened her mood. And the eggs did smell _really_ good, so it was hard to stay mad at him.

"I was hoping you'd come home last night," Jiraiya said, as he dished the eggs onto each of the plates. "It was very lonely, sitting here, and I even considered calling on one of my lady friends to keep me company..." He trailed off suggestively.

Tsunade winced. Jiraiya had been in the bed alone this morning, but there was no telling what had happened while she was gone...

"But alas, I spent the night alone in your very comfortable bed." He gave a heavy, over dramatic sigh.

"Even if I had been here, you would've been alone," Tsunade said. "How did you get in, anyway?"

"You leave a spare key under the doormat, just like you always have." Jiraiya chuckled. "You're too predictable." He took a bite of his eggs. "I thought you would be pleased to see me."

"I don't like surprises. And finding you in my bed _naked_ is not what I would call pleasant."

"Oh come on, Tsunade. I know you're uptight, but there was that _one_ time," he said. "And you weren't _that_ drunk."

She glared at him. "I didn't intend for things to turn out the way they did, either. It won't happen again." She had only taken a few bites of her eggs, and hadn't even touched the toast. Tsunade checked her watch again; quarter to eight.

Jiraiya's presence was both calming and aggravating. She felt like she couldn't sit still, and thought maybe a drink would help her nerves, but having him there made her hesitate. She was sure he'd seen her bottle of Sake in the fridge.

She had always loved Sake, but had never considered herself to be an alcoholic because she would drink it only at parties or when she went to play cards, or occasionally on her own to mellow out after work. The bottle of Sake had been in the fridge, unopened, for nearly a month. Many times, she'd been tempted to have some. Just one glass. And at times like this, she was tempted to consume the whole bottle and not care about how awful she'd feel afterward. But either way, she could never bring herself to drink, as much as it seemed like it was the best thing to do.

She couldn't drink in front of Jiraiya; it would mean showing weakness and vulnerability. She'd known him for years, gone to high school with him. But he couldn't know.

"I have to go," she told Jiraiya, getting up from her stool and leaving her plate of half-eaten eggs and untouched toast on the counter. She pulled her hair back into a tight up-do and went to the door, grabbing her purse. Jiraiya followed, looking puzzled.

_Don't ask, please don't ask _

"Tsunade," he began to say, his voice now serious and almost concerned. She didn't give him a chance to finish and after slipping her shoes on, she walked out the door. Her heart was pounding and her chest felt painfully tight. She got into her car and sat there for a moment before starting it. Tsunade did not allow herself to cry. Tears wouldn't solve anything.

She started the car, and pulled out of her driveway. The traffic on the expressway was not as bad as before; she would be at the hospital in ten minutes. Tsunade inhaled and exhaled deeply, telling herself over and over again that everything was going to be okay, even though she didn't really believe it.

* * *

**TBC**


End file.
